Car-bender ends Dexion Racing's weekend
7/4/2005 18:26 (Press Release) -
Dexion Racing will not compete in the Holden Performance Driving Centre V8 Supercar Series this weekend in Adelaide after a car-bending accident in the first practice session of the weekend. Dexion driver Tony Evangelou was slammed in the driver’s side door by Mark Porter after Evangelou was caught in the middle of the Senna Chicane due to an altercation with rookie V8 driver Greg Smith through turns 1 and 2.
Smith was tippy-toeing his way through turn 1 and propped as Evangelou tried to pass him. Evangelou spun and stalled the car initially. He restarted his Falcon and moved forward, only to be nailed hard at the blind chicane by Porter in the B-pillar.
The Dexion Ford’s roll cage and B-pillar are compressed in three different areas and the tunnel is creased. The car can not be repaired for this weekend and will trucked back to the team’s home base in Melbourne, where it will be stripped and assessed to see if the cage can be salvaged.
Evangelou was able to drive the car back to pit-lane and walked away with minor leg and side bruising. Impact speed is believed to be at over 100km/h.
The car is new to the Victorian team (ex-Anthony Tratt BA) and has only been used once by Dexion Racing in testing prior to this lap 3 altercation.
The incident has shattered Evangelou and Dexion. The storage manufacturer has over 350 guests visiting the circuit this weekend.
“It’s not the way to start a new season,” he shrugged.
“I think Smith was a bit surprised at how fast I approached him and he baulked. I hit him and spun the car, but it all went down hill from there. I saw Porter coming and I just turned my head the other way. I knew it was going to be a big hit.
“I feel for the Dexion franchise owners and their customers as there will be a lot of them here this weekend and they won’t have a car to cheer for on the track.
“In all our year’s racing cars, we have never walked away from a meeting like this. I’m gutted for the team and Dexion.”
Smith apologised immediately after the session and agreed his inexperience played a part in the initial clash.
“I was going pretty slow through there and he went one way and, unfortunately, I went the same way and we clashed and he spun,” Smith said after the incident.
“To Tony’s credit he understood about the clash.”
Porter’s car sustained enough damaged to be ruled out of qualifying but will be ready for the first race tomorrow. He said he saw the yellow flags but had no where to go.
Release Date: 17/03/2005
Dexion Racing
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